King's Lynn Town boss Gary Setchell believes striker Shane Tolley's end-of-season exploits have delivered the perfect response to his critics.

The former Peterborough United youngster came under flak from some supporters during his side's title run-in after going nine matches without a goal.

But the 28-year-old was there when it mattered most to head home last week to secure a 2-1 triumph over Sheffield which clinched the Evo-Stik Division One South crown.

The hitman, known as Custard, enjoyed an even sweeter spell in front of goal just days later when he netted a hat-trick inside 30 minutes during the Linnets' 3-0 win at Belper Town.

Travelling supporters hailed their match-winner to the delight of Setchell who admits he simply cannot understand why anyone was writing the ace marksman off in the first place.

The Lynn boss said: 'I'm delighted because of all the things that are written about him by some strange people on various bits and pieces. If you watch the way he plays it's just so uncharacteristic what they're writing about.

'He's a great footballer and he's a great goalscorer. I've asked him to perhaps play a different role at times this season. Saturday will have helped his goals-per-game ratio for the statisticians who live for that sort of thing.

'The finishing from Shane at Belper was clinical and some of the people who wrote some of that stuff must be feeling a little bit silly now.'

The highly-rated non-league hitman arrived at The Walks in December last year having bagged 56 goals in two seasons to help St Neots Town achieve back-to-back promotions.

He scored 10 goals in 25 appearances for Setchell, despite sometimes playing in a slightly withdrawn role or being used as a substitute, to help Lynn complete the same feat as his former club had.

Tolley arrived in Norfolk having left the Saints last summer to play for big-spending Spalding United and then Blue Square South Histon. The frontman enjoyed a two-goal debut for Setchell's men during a 4-2 defeat to Hucknall Town and went on to make a huge contribution to the Linnets' phenomenal success, none bigger than his late winner against Sheffield to spark memorable title-winning scenes at The Walks.

Only the now-departed Jason Turner (11), Danny Beaumont (13), Russell Dunkley (14) and top-scorer Steve Spriggs (27) found the net more times than Tolley, whose goals all came in the league, this term.